“Young Master Lu, I heard from little Qian Bao’er that you defeated Azure Dragon Ao Qi in a spar?”
It was already the third day since Lu Zheng and the others had arrived at the East Sea Dragon Palace.
Previously, Ao Jin had personally taken Lu Zheng’s group on a tour of the dragon palace sights. Afterwards, he left them in the company of several dragon clan disciples who had become more familiar, appearing only when he had time or during meals.
The one asking now was a Jade Dragon clan man who never parted from his armour.
Ao Kuo.
It was said he was about the same age as Ao Qi and had once pursued her. However, Ao Qi declared that to marry her, he must defeat her first, then proceeded to give him a thorough beating.
A further word on marriages among the dragon clans.
Though the dragon clans were divided into the four orthodox lines of Gold Dragon, Jade Dragon, Azure Dragon, and Grey Dragon, these four frequently intermarried.
Yet their children were not hybrids. They fully inherited either the mother’s or father’s dragon clan bloodline.
After all… the foundation of the four great dragon clans was still the ancient divine dragons. Though separated, the differences between them, relative to those ancient divine dragons, were really like the distinction between double eyelids and single eyelids. Not that significant.
When Lu Zheng learned of this, he could only inwardly complain: then why bother dividing at all!
But when he discovered the fundamental difference between the Jade Dragon clan’s inheritance and the Gold Dragon clan’s, he could only exclaim how impressive it was.
Gold Dragons focused on refining the body and qi, ultimately making every scale like indestructible diamond, eternal and imperishable.
Jade Dragons focused on refining the spirit and qi, ultimately making the soul like pure jade, immortal and indestructible.
Lu Zheng was speechless. You call this a double versus single eyelid difference?
Additionally, Azure Dragons focused on refining qi and spirit, Grey Dragons on refining qi and body.
One could say the four great dragon clans had taken four relatively different paths.
Lu Zheng strongly suspected this was deliberate by the dragon clans to diversify risks. Otherwise, relations among the four would not remain consistently good over the years, nor would they intermarry.
It was a case of you in me and me in you, yet with independence to avoid converging on a single path.
The dragon clans were like this…
Were the Daoist sects and Buddhist sects the same?
Lu Zheng blinked, thinking how within Buddhism there were factions with clashing ideologies fighting to the death, and in Daoism there were those who deviated in cultivation and broke away as heretics.
[An old book friend of ten years recommended this reading app to me, Wild Fruit Reading! It’s really bloody useful. I rely on its read-aloud feature for driving or before bed to pass the time. You can download it here: www.yeguoyuedu.com]
Never mind. No point thinking about it…
Lu Zheng came back to his senses and replied to Ao Kuo, “I can only say I gained a slight upper hand. It hardly counts as victory.”
“That is still impressive!” Ao Kuo exclaimed, his eyes shifting. “How about… we have a spar ourselves?”
Compared to the restraint of Central Plains extraordinaries, Ao Kuo holding back until now to propose a match was already very self-controlled.
“Fine by me.” Lu Zheng naturally had no objection.
“Shall we go to the martial arts field? The space there is larger.” Ao Kuo suggested.
“But would that not hinder water techniques?” Lu Zheng asked.
After all, the martial field was vast and far from the water surface. Lu Zheng would be advantaged, while Ao Kuo would have to draw water and contend with the field’s water-repelling arrays.
“No problem!” Ao Kuo patted his chest, thinking that if he lost, he would have an excuse.
Lu Zheng then asked, “Do you usually spar in the martial field?”
Ao Yun, accompanying Liu Qingyan and Shen Ying, shook her head with a smile. “If water is involved, we just fight directly in the sea.”
“Perfect. I recently learned a new water technique and would like to test it against Brother Ao.” Lu Zheng cupped his hands. “Please go easy on me, Brother Ao.”
Ao Kuo blinked, momentarily unsure how to respond.
If he said the man was looking down on him, the fellow seemed utterly sincere, even asking him to hold back.
If serious, did he really intend to use a newly learned water technique against a true dragon?
“Would that not be bullying you?” Ao Kuo blurted out.
Lu Zheng laughed heartily, leapt upward toward the water surface above. “Brother Ao, do not underestimate me. This water technique is called the Mysterious Turtle Imperial Water True Spirit Secret Art, an ancient inheritance. It is not much inferior to the Jade Dragon clan’s secret methods.”
Ao Kuo’s eyes lit up. “An ancient Mysterious Turtle inheritance? Good, then I won’t hold back!”
Ao Kuo laughed loudly, then drew a long spear with a reverse grip and shot forward.
…
Moments later.
Lu Zheng sheathed his long sword, cupped his hands, and said, “Brother Ao’s cultivation is profound. We fought to a draw.”
“Too kind! Too kind!”
Ao Kuo secretly breathed a sigh of relief, laughed boisterously toward the sky, and said more warmly, “Tomorrow I’ll take you all out to sea for fishing. Nourished by the dragon palace’s spiritual qi, the nearby sea fish are incredibly fresh and tender, most delicious.”
Lu Zheng nodded with a smile. “Then we won’t stand on ceremony. By the way, my cooking skills are passable. Tomorrow, I’ll handle the kitchen.”
Ao Kuo laughed. “That would be wonderful!”
The others nearby all smiled upon hearing this, especially Ao Yun and Ao Run, who laughed the most merrily.
…
The next day, upon hearing they were going out to sea and that Lu Zheng would cook, Ao Qian arrived leading a group of young dragon sons, daughters, and grandchildren.
Ao Kuo glared. “We’re going fishing. What are you lot coming for? Don’t you usually hate fishing the most?”
Ao Qian declared righteously, “We’re not going to fish. We’re going to eat fish!”
“Aren’t the fish in the palace enough for you?” Ao Yun was somewhat dumbfounded. She did not want to babysit the little ones.
“We want to eat what Brother Lu Zheng makes!”
Over the past few days, Ao Qian and Liu Qingquan had shared many modern snacks with these young dragons, and hyped Lu Zheng’s cooking to the skies, making the little dragons all want to visit the Central Plains.
Now, hearing the news Liu Qingquan brought back that Lu Zheng would fish and cook, they naturally rushed over demanding to join.
Ao Run was speechless and felt a bit embarrassed. If not for Ao Qian being Ao Jin’s youngest daughter, she would have wanted to grab her and spank her bottom.
“I’m not taking you out. If you want to go, get your parents’ permission.” Ao Kuo came up with an excuse.
“Father King already agreed and assigned General Xie and General Jing.”
Ao Qian pointed, and Lu Zheng’s group saw two burly men standing not far away, followed by hundreds of water soldiers.
Ao Jin had tasted Lu Zheng’s cooking.
With his current cultivation and status, he naturally would not lose composure over food. But thinking that Ao Qian might not enjoy Lu Zheng’s skills for a long time after this, he did not object to them joining for a feast.
Ao Kuo, “…”
…
Thus, today’s leisurely sea fishing turned into a group outing for the dragon palace’s little ancestors.
There was no fishing atmosphere left, because they would use magic to haul big fish from the sea and deliver them right to Lu Zheng.
“Brother Lu Zheng, is this one okay?”
“Brother Lu Zheng, will this fish taste good when cooked?”
“Brother Lu Zheng, Ao Qian says your squirrel fish is the best. Let’s make this one into squirrel fish?”
Lu Zheng blinked, staring at the nearly three-metre-long bluefin tuna before him, falling into prolonged contemplation.
He was wondering what would happen if he posted a photo of turning this fish into squirrel fish online.
Would Chinese chefs accuse him of wasting heavenly gifts?
